British ColumbiaAnother 85 parcels of land and 42 structures along Highway 20 were placed under evacuation order on Sunday, as a number of wildfires burn out of control in B.C.’s Chilcotin region.New order issued Sunday for 85 parcels of land, 42 structures along Highway 20The Smokey Lake wildfire is seen from above on Sunday, as an evacuation order was issued for 85 parcels of land and 42 structures. (B.C. Wildfire Service)An evacuation order has been issued for 85 parcels of land and 42 structures along Highway 20 in B.C.’s Chilcotin region, due to the out-of-control Smokey Lake wildfire.An additional 36 parcels, including one structure, and the West Chilcotin Health Centre, are under evacuation alert. The notices were issued Sunday afternoon, with those under evacuation order asked to immediately proceed to Highway 20 and then east to Williams Lake.”Responders may be unable to assist anyone who remains in the evacuation order area,” read the order from the Cariboo Regional District. As of Monday morning, the Smokey Lake wildfire measured 67 square kilometres, up from 58 square kilometres Sunday evening. Firefighters are seen conducting hand ignitions around the Beef Trail Creek wildfire in central B.C. on Sept. 4, 2025. It is one of several fires burning in the area, including the Smokey Lake fire. (B.C. Wildfire Service)It’s one of a cluster of fires burning along Highway 20, east of Bella Coola, that have prompted evacuation orders and alerts in the past week, including the Beef Trail Creek wildfire and the Dusty Lake wildfire. The Beef Trail Creek fire has closed an 68-kilometre stretch of Highway 20 in both directions, west of the fires. The Smokey Lake wildfire burns in B.C.’s Cariboo region on Sept. 4. (B.C. Wildfire Service)Another stretch of the highway, near the Smokey Lake fire, is open to single-lane alternating traffic due to the fire. DriveBC says drivers should expect delays. An existing evacuation alert issued Friday by the Tŝilhqot’in Nation and the Cariboo Regional District covers the area south of the highway, including 332 parcels of land and 165 structures. Over 1,000 properties on evacuation orderB.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene told a Monday news conference that there were approximately 1,100 properties on evacuation order and a further 600 on evacuation alert throughout B.C.”While we are moving towards the last part of the wildfire season, the risk is still very real,” she said.”We need to stay prepared for all possibilities and your actions matter. They help protect communities and the people working tirelessly on the front lines.”Kelly Greene, minister of emergency management, urged British Columbians to be ready as the wildfire season drags into September. She is pictured in a file photo taken earlier this year. (Ben Nelms/CBC)An evacuation order means that residents have to leave immediately, while an evacuation alert means that residents should get prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.Officials later said the evacuation orders affected around 550 people, and around 650 were affected by evacuation alerts.Ravi Parmar, minister of forests, said that above-seasonal temperatures and lightning remained a risk heading into September. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said that incoming cooler weather would help with wildfire suppression, but there was still the possibility that transportation routes would be cut off by wildfires.He also urged residents to give firefighters the opportunity to work safely, saying that a civilian drone struck a B.C. Wildfire Service plane last week — causing damage to the plane and putting people at a risk.”Who thought that was a good idea? Give your head a shake,” he said.”I know drones capture incredible photos and videos, but it’s not worth causing damage to the planes that are helping to put out wildfires and the potential risk of more fires if these aircrafts can’t fly — or the $100,000 maximum fine you will get if you are caught.”Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill said the province was implementing fish protection orders in place in the southern Interior amid drought conditions in B.C. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill told the news conference that the unseasonably dry conditions affecting the province mean drought conditions are worsening in some regions.She said the province was putting fish protection orders in place for parts of the Thompson Okanagan region as extreme drought conditions affect river levels and threaten the local salmon populations.The government says the orders aim to protect spawning Chinook salmon in the lower Salmon River and Bessette Creek by temporarily restricting water use for forage crops for just under 500 surface and groundwater licence holders.”Voluntary conservation … is always our first and preferred step,” Neill said. “But when stream flows drop to critical levels and vulnerable species are at risk, in this case our endangered Chinook salmon population, we must take regulatory action.”The government is also ordering 19 licensees in the Salmon River watershed to stop using water for lawns, fairways and garden industrial purposes.Neill says the order will be “rescinded if stream flow recovery is sufficient,” but not could give an exact date.ABOUT THE AUTHORMichelle Gomez is a writer and reporter at CBC Vancouver. You can contact her at michelle.gomez@cbc.ca. With files from The Canadian Press
Over 1,000 properties on evacuation order as wildfires rage in B.C.’s Chilcotin region
